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World Cup: About 700 Germany fans revel in World Cup glory at Fort Bliss

By David Burge and Luis Carlos Lopez / El Paso Times

Posted:
07/13/2014 07:44:28 PM MDT

After spending the entire game crying from stress, Isabella Yandoc let out a sigh of relief after Germany scored in the 113th minute of the World Cup final against Argentina on Sunday. Germany fans gathered at the former home of their Oktoberfest celebrations at Fort Bliss to view the match. (MARK LAMBIE — EL PASO TIMES)

FORT BLISS &GT;&GT; For nearly two hours, you could feel the tension build among the German fans gathered at the Oktoberfest site at Fort Bliss.

With every near-miss and twist and turn of the World Cup final came a collective groan or cheer.

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Luis Carlos Lopez

Then, the party started after Mario Gotze scored 113 minutes into what had been a scoreless tie with Argentina, giving Germany a 1-0 win and its fourth World Cup championship.

A collective relief and then joy swept through the 700 people who gathered to watch the game. It was largest crowd that the German air force hosted during its country's seven-game run to the title and included a mix of German airmen and civilians and their American friends.

Germany defeated the United States 1-0 in group play earlier in the tournament.

"It's a relief," said German air force Capt. Rudy Gefeke, one of the event organizers. German fans were hoping that they'd get a score and not have to go to penalty kicks, he said.

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"Penalty kicks are luck; you might as well flip a coin," he said.

Retired German air force Staff Sgt. Timo Schwegmann said he was exhausted from all the back-and-forth action of the game and all the near-misses.

"It was totally nerve-racking," Schwegmann said. "I was hoping for an earlier goal."

He said the game reminded him of the 1990 World Cup final when Germany beat Argentina in another nail-biter.

Heiko Paulsen, a civilian worker with the German air force, wore a black, red and gold wig — the German national colors.

"I'm so happy," said Paulsen, who had trouble standing still after the win. "We have the best team in the world. This is so nice."

Retired Sgt. Maj. Heinz Alexander said what made this World Cup special was being able to share the moment with all his "friends and family" associated with the German air force at Fort Bliss.

"It's like I'm at home," he said.

Throwing World Cup parties like this is a way to thank their American hosts for "all the Super Bowl party invitations we get every February," Gefeke said.

For Argentine fans, Cuartito Azul, a West Side restaurant, was also an ebb and flow of emotions.